Volume 3 - Electric Scotland

16 CHISAMIL CASTl.E.
still tolerably entire ;
its extent being such as probably td
accommodate not less than five hundred men ; a consi-
derable army in those days. The family of Mac Niel was
one of the powerful Clans of the time, yet the size of this
garrison is remarkable ; as it was not usual to keep an
army on foot when it could be levied in a few hours by
sending round the acknowledged signal for gathering,
the burnt and bloody stick, or fiery cross. Martin des-
cribes his difficulty in getting access to it, upwards of a
century ago, owing to the illnature of the Constable, or
Cockman, (Goknian)as he calls him; so that all the dis-
cipline of a fortress seems to have been preserved in
these castles, even down to the late period at which he
wrote.
Though Mac Niel is said to have been a tributary to
the Lord of the Isles at one time, this Clan professes to be
of Irish origin; which is probable, considering the abso-
lute community which seems in former times to have ex-
isted between that country and the West Highlands
though that Irish origin is still Norwegian. He is the
Nialson of the Sagas. It appears to have kept up a de-
gree of state absolutely ludicrous, if we may trust to two
tales, one of which at least is true. In Carstares's state
papers, there is a letter from the Earl of Argyll, laugh-
ipg at the formality and state with which an ambassador
from that chief had presented to him a letter offering aid,
" as if he had belonged to another kin;>dom." The other
story relates to the wreck of a Spanish vessel which the
gentlemen of the Clan had proposed to appropriate; and
respecting which, when it was questioned what the King
of Spain would say, the answer was that Mac Niel and
His Majesty must settle that between themselves. If he
was the thirty-sixth chief of his race in Queen Ann's time,
as Achmar says, he had indeed something to boast of.
;